Custom-configured secure tablets will be given to prisoners in 28 NSW correctional facilities to aid in their rehabilitation and reintegration.
Following a fruitful pilot in 2020, the Offender Digital Services platform will be made available statewide. A $40.4 million contribution from the Digital Restart Fund will support this effort.
With the tablet rollout scheduled to begin in June 2023, the money will directly fund 16 centres.
The state government anticipates that service digitization will boost possibilities for intervention, encourage programme participation, advance education, and enhance relationships with support networks.
The government stated in a post about the programme that greater community inclusion should reduce the danger of reoffending.
The Offender Telephone System is one of the websites, services, and applications that can only be accessed with the help of the tamper-proof tablets.
The cost of the tablets will be partially covered by a small surcharge that inmates pay when they dial mobile lines.
It’s about teaching us the courage to manage the digital world, an unnamed prisoner is reported as saying.
“When we graduate, we will be able to apply for Centerlink, a job, or housing.”
The tablets also assist prisoners in maintaining communication with their social networks, families, and friends.